Don't attack all at once but Sheeana was my favorite. The image of her stomping her feet in the sand, whipping her hair about with the dust rising, calling the worm.... it enthralled me. It inspired me to take up hoopdance. Love it.

Fenrig takes a close second. Curious fella that count.

Least favorite would have to be the Baron. Gag. and the Beast. Lynch's depictions of them, in my mind, are the epitome of disgusting. So gross, in every way imaginable.

I can see I am WAY out of my league here. I'm gonna have to freshen up with a rereading (is that even a word?) of the Books. Kudos, nerds. Kudos.

I love some of the great female characters Frank wrote: Jessica, Ghanima, Alia all come to mind. (In fact, If I can get away with it, and I am ever blessed with having a daughter, I will try to see if I can get Alia or Ghanima as at least a middle name for her) I also love the Tleilaxu, as they are truly alien while yet human. For a long time I was hoping that they would be the "Winners" even if they are in some ways, totally evil. Also Leto-Ghanima as the creepy yet cute pre-awakened twins always keeps me reading.Teg is awesome as well.

Least favorite?

Duncan after GEoD seems tacked on. Bringing Duncan as Hyat Was brilliant, and I could see Leto buying Duncan's as Duncan was a important part of Leto early life.

However in the last two books, wouldn't they want someone like say, Moreno?

Any character as written by Brian H. and anderson. For example, shaddam IV in dune is no idiot, just outplayed by Paul and his extra abilities, and is backstabbed by the guild, BG, and Hasmir. In the prequels he is a fool suitable if it was written as a comedy.

I hear the wind blowing across the desert and I see the moons of a winter night rising like great ships in the void.

Zedwardson wrote:Any character as written by Brian H. and anderson. For example, shaddam IV in dune is no idiot, just outplayed by Paul and his extra abilities, and is backstabbed by the guild, BG, and Hasmir. In the prequels he is a fool suitable if it was written as a comedy

.I can't help but believe kevie really opens his soul and tries his hardest to put forth the best dictahiking his lowest bid will transcribe. As a result, we get to see inside the mind of a self styled 'master of universes' ! From what i've read, between his ears lies a flat featureless plain, devoid of anything interesting, even texture. Not even he can stay interested in his stories, he says he's got to do something cool while he's 'writing' and when he's 'finished' he'll double or triple his word count by simply repeating himself untill his goal is met. Yeah, there's no doubt in my mind kevie tries to do his best when he's playing in someone elses sandbox.

Leto II is gone for good, except for OM. The "pearl" was just that; a miniscule portion of what Leto was, and not a compressed version of the whole. The pearl that the worms have do not make them Leto, or in any way similar to him.-Omphalos

We actually had a thread here to discuss (recently) "why Duncan" for the last two books. From a literary point of view obviously FH just wanted that common thread to keep running through the books, but there were actually a good number of very good "in-universe" explanations for why they would have brought back Duncan (my own contribution was just that if I were the BG I would bring him back even just for the reason of trying to figure out why Leto kept bringing him back).

The whole of the last two books seemed tacked on to me though, probably because they really were!

A Thing of Eternity wrote:We actually had a thread here to discuss (recently) "why Duncan" for the last two books. From a literary point of view obviously FH just wanted that common thread to keep running through the books, but there were actually a good number of very good "in-universe" explanations for why they would have brought back Duncan (my own contribution was just that if I were the BG I would bring him back even just for the reason of trying to figure out why Leto kept bringing him back).

The whole of the last two books seemed tacked on to me though, probably because they really were!

Indeed, Dune, DM, and CoD all make a wonderful story. GEoD is a sequel to that "trilogy". I found that sometimes I read the last two books for the Tleilaxu.

I hear the wind blowing across the desert and I see the moons of a winter night rising like great ships in the void.

endisbegun27 wrote:due to most of my own friend thinking reading is lame, im able to have very few nerdy conversations, especially about dune so, as cliche of a topic as it is, who was everyones favorite and most hated character in the series?

Favorite character? Will have to always and forever be Paul, as he was the one I first identified with and he's the one who's the most tragic figure, I think (even more than his father or son).

Least favorite character? Irulan. Yes, she plays her role in the book, but she's also an empty-headed fool. And I can never forgive her for administering the birth control drug to Chani all those years (which eventually led to her death in childbirth).

2nd least favorite? Yueh. Yeah, sure, his wife was being tortured by the Harkonnens, but is he the first Suk doctor to have loved ones? Nobody thought of kidnapping/torturing an Imperial-conditioned's loved ones before in order to break the conditioning? That seems... unlikely.

Regardless, Yueh shows the ultimate selfishness by helping to destroy his Duke (and the Duke's loyal subjects) just so Yueh would have the chance to kill the Baron. Yueh wanted his revenge no matter what the cost. Selfish.

Yeah, Nayla's biggest character trait was that she was unthinkingly devoted to her "god-emporer".

Ok, I know I need to re-read the book but, I was recently compared to Nayla by someone for which I hold a high opinion and although I've discussed this with a great friend whom I think is very wise I would like y'all's opinion on this.

I am not for sure if this was meant as an insult, a compliment, or just a matter-of-fact statement.

What I remember of Nayla was a person who was deeply torn by what she felt was betrayal behavior while serving her ruler as he had instructed her to do.

I'm leaning toward the third choice while wondering if I'm reading more into it than there is. After all, we each see these characters in different lights.

What are your opinions on this character?

(Didn't think this deserved a thread by itself, hence the sticking it in this thread)

P.S. I guess I should mention the comparison was made during a discussion that involved religion and my belief of a certain entity. And I think the individual was feeling no pain that night but still a very intelligent person, in my opinion.

What fear is there in the night? Nothing, but that which is in our own imaginations.

That somewhat sounds like an insult to me. Nayla is known mostly for her stubborn fanaticism (and her very, very wide mouth!). I can't think of any way a comparison to her would be intended as a compliment.

jakoye wrote:That somewhat sounds like an insult to me. Nayla is known mostly for her stubborn fanaticism (and her very, very wide mouth!). I can't think of any way a comparison to her would be intended as a compliment.

But at least you have very literary friends!

Well, considering this was during a discussion about our different views on religion, I'm beginning to see what this individual might have been saying.

And yes, I have very well-read friends/comrades. I admire them greatly.

What fear is there in the night? Nothing, but that which is in our own imaginations.

Favorite: Piter de Vries. I have a friend who even calls me Piter, not at my request.

2nd place: Count Fenring. Most fascinating character I've ever read.

Least Favorite: Princess Irulan.

Dune Messiah wrote:No matter her beauty, this Princess wasflawed. Under that veneer of sexual attraction lived a whining shrew moreinterested in words than in actions.

And I'm afraid I must agree

As much as the extra scenes with Irulan in the miniseries (at the Arrakis banquet and on Giedi Prime) were non-canon, at least they gave her something to do which made her interesting. Instead of being merely a tool for Paul she had plans and activities of her own being spun. What happens to her in the books is more appropriate though, since Paul is giving both the Sisterhood and Shaddam the middle finger in one fell swoop by leaving Irulan barren and whining.

Favorite: Leto II. I admire his sacrifice for humanity. (By the way, does anyone know why he became more powerful than Paul? Was it because of the spice Chani took in pregnancy or was it just Chani's and Paul's superior DNA?)

Least Favorite: Irulan. She never seems as impressive as the other characters.

Least Favorite- Lucilla - I know it's odd because she's supposed to be similar to Odrade, at-least physically, but she seems to allow events to just happen to her, she starts out well against Schwangyu but after that she just seems limp. Teg even comments that she's not acting like a Reverend Mother.h

Someone else said it as well, but I liked Dune Messiah Scytale. Very intelligent, very deep, and well written.

I did like Teg, and maintain one of my favourite passages in all the books is where he's captured and gains his hyper-speed. Maybe FH's style was changing as he aged, but Teg really got a lot of back story and depth to his character that I really enjoyed.

Stilgar is a very well written character as well, a lot to like about him.

Least Favourite:

Paul. yep, really. In Dune he's just plodding along. The more times I re-read it, it all seems very linear and inevitable. He uses the Fremen almost as cynically as his mother. Then in Messiah, he's just wandering around trying to disengage, disengage while events happen to him. He provided a good tool for exposition of the nature of prescience and the scheming of the priesthood, but his personal character was a bit boring for me. I did like him as the preacher though.

Irualan is obvious, but even worse was Wensicia. A really pointless character, really only existed to provide the opportunity for Farad'n to cut himself lose from decisions made before he assumed his position.

Twlyth Waff was pretty one dimensional. For all his vaunted prowess as a master of masters and millenia of experience, he's easily led by the nose by some BG's and put into an impossible position by replacing Tuek with a NFD. Also not predicting that the NFD's would fully assume their pesonas and forget he is their master should have seemed more obvious to one such as him.